New Young Audiences Arts for Learning Affiliate Executive Directors

We would like to welcome our new affiliate Executive Directors that have joined the Young Audiences Arts for Learning network:

Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE): Amy Rasmussen

As Executive Director, Amy Rasmussen has guided CAPE through a period of substantial programmatic and financial growth. During her tenure, CAPE has quadrupled the number of schools it serves, its staff and budget. CAPE is the recipient of three US Department of Education Arts Education Model Development & Dissemination Grants, which has enabled the organization to further its research on the impact of the arts on learning. In July 2011, Amy was named a White House Champion of Change in Arts Education by President Barack Obama for her work with CAPE. She is on the board of The Orange School in Chicago – an arts-based charter school that will open in 2014.

COMPAS: Dawne Brown White

A youth advocate and 25-year nonprofit veteran, Dawne Brown White will join COMPAS as its new Executive Director on June 3, 2013. Brown White brings expertise in organizational leadership, revenue development and fundraising to COMPAS. She has a passion for building relationships and growing programs to meet community needs, especially those that strengthen children and families. Since moving to the Twin Cities from Canada she has held positions with the Girl Scouts, the University of Minnesota and the Ronald McDonald House before starting her own non-profit to increase dental access for underserved youth.

Gateway to the Arts: Jim Van Valkenberg

Jim Van Valkenberg is a seasoned, resourceful business manager with extensive experience in both the for-profit and nonprofit arenas. Prior to joining Gateway to the Arts, he held the position of Executive Director with Children's Festival Chorus. While living in Cleveland, Jim created and managed DonorLabTM - a facilitator of best practices and collaborative initiatives for nonprofits in northeast Ohio. He previously owned and managed Shared Visions, a firm specializing in database marketing and web-to-print services. Jim received his Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing Management and Quantitative Methods from Valparaiso University and attended Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. Moving to Pittsburgh in 2009, he now lives in Shadyside with his wife, Deborah, who is senior vice president of Brand Management and Corporate Advertising at PNC. They have three daughters.